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Lightning
Lightning, her original name being Claire Farron (Eclair Farron in the Japanese version), is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII. She is the narrator and a temporary playable character in Final Fantasy XIII-2, and returns as the protagonist and sole permanently playable character in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. In Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning seeks to save her younger sister Serah Farron, but becomes entangled in a plot that endangers her home of Cocoon. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, Lightning serves as a knight protecting the goddess Etro in Valhalla from her fated rival, Caius Ballad. In the concluding tale Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning is chosen to be a savior by the god Bhunivelze, tasked to save the people's souls before the end of the world. Involvement Final Fantasy XIII As the Purge train enters the Hanging Edge, Lightning attacks the PSICOM soldiers aboard and frees her fellow captives. PSICOM forces fire on the train and a Manasvin Warmech brings it to a halt. Lightning and Sazh Katzroy fight through the PSICOM forces and arrive at the Vestige where they discover Serah Farron outside the Pulse fal'Cie Anima's throne. Snow Villiers, Hope Estheim and Vanille arrive, and Serah asks Lightning to save Cocoon and enters crystal stasis, having fulfilled her Focus. Lightning and the group confront and destroy Anima, but are branded l'Cie before it perishes and the Vestige plummets to Lake Bresha, crystallizing it on impact. Lightning and her new companions awaken in Lake Bresha realizing they are now l'Cie and that upon being branded they shared a vision of the legendary beast Ragnarok. They discover Serah's crystal form fused to the crystallized lake. Deeming Serah is dead, Lightning reluctantly opts to continue onward to evade the army's closing net and so they leave behind Snow, who has chosen to dig Serah out. They find an airship in abandoned ruins at the lake's edge and use it to escape, but are attacked by pursuing PSICOM ships and crash in the Vile Peaks. Lightning plans to go to the capital city of Eden to destroy its namesake fal'Cie that controls the Sanctum, blaming it for the Purge and her current situation. After a disagreement on their Focus, the group splits up: with Lightning going to Eden to take down the Sanctum, and Sazh and Vanille heading for the opposite direction to run from their fate. Followed by Hope and unable to send him back, Lightning lets him accompany her. Her patience wears thin as Hope becomes a liability and Lightning threatens to leave him. Her frustration summons the Eidolon Odin to attack Hope. Lightning saves him and they defeat the Eidolon together, convincing her to let Hope travel with her and help him "toughen up". At the Gapra Whitewood Hope takes the lead and Lightning gives him her survival knife to boost his confidence. Hope intents to take revenge on Snow for his part in his mother's death during the Purge and when Lightning tells him the Sanctum is to blame Hope resolves in making both Snow and the Sanctum pay for it. Lightning tries to dissuade Hope by suggesting they visit his father. In Palumpolum, Hope leads Lightning into the underground Nutriculture Complex to avoid PSICOM. Upon hearing Hope speak of the fal'Cie treating humans like their pets, Lightning realizes that having lived under fal'Cie care since birth she had always been their pawn, and that her anger is over her protectors turning against her. Realizing she has dragged Hope into the same delusion of fighting blindly to make up for doubt and confusion, Lightning tells Hope their goals of vengeance are over and promises she will not abandon him. PSICOM soldiers led by Yaag Rosch ambush Lightning and Hope as they emerge in the Agora, but Snow and Oerba Yun Fang, who have teamed up with the Cavalry to overthrow Sanctum, intervene to save them. Lightning escapes with Fang while Snow takes Hope. With wireless communicators the pairs agree to meet up at Hope's house. Hope wants to go through with his revenge against her wishes, and when Lightning tries to reason with him her plea never reaches him. Lightning learns Fang is not only a Pulse l'Cie like herself, but an actual Gran Pulse citizen. Fang and Vanille were crystallized centuries earlier after completing their Focus, but awoke in Cocoon without knowing how or why, and were indirectly responsible for Serah being made a l'Cie. Lightning and Fang realize Pulse and Cocoon are more similar than they initially thought in how both worlds fear and hate each other. Fang tells Lightning how a l'Cie's brand indicates the amount of time until one becomes a Cie'th, and reassures Serah will wake from crystal stasis one day. Lightning and Fang locate Snow and Hope in time to help the latter battle an Ushumgal Subjugator. Hope has abandoned his plan for revenge and returns Lightning's knife, and they promise to protect each other before the group proceeds to Hope's home. Lightning tends to the injuries Snow sustained from protecting Hope and apologizes for her earlier behavior towards him. PSICOM attacks the apartment but disguised Cavalry soldiers intervene and during the chaos Lightning has Hope tie up his dad to make him appear like an unwilling accomplice. The party boards the Lindblum and learns Sazh and Vanille are being held captive on the Palamecia, and that Primarch Galenth Dysley is overseeing the transport. The four l'Cie infiltrate the Palamecia to rescue Sazh and Vanille and once reunited, they confront Dysley on the bridge. He reveals himself as the fal'Cie Barthandelus, leader of the Cocoon fal'Cie, and explains their Focus is to destroy Cocoon by turning into Ragnarok and killing Orphan, the fal'Cie that sustains Cocoon. The party flees on a small airship, which autopilots them through Eden into the Fifth Ark hidden beneath the city. The group's l'Cie powers are fully awoken and they encounter the leader of the Cavalry, Cid Raines. He reveals he is a Sanctum l'Cie branded by Barthandelus with the Focus of aiding them as Barthandelus desires for Cocoon's destruction so the deaths of its inhabitants would summon the Maker, the creator of fal'Cie and humans alike. Raines rebels against his Focus by attempting to kill them and though defeated transforms into crystal despite having defied his Focus. The group decides to follow his example and save Cocoon. Fang turns against them until Lightning and Vanille help her tame her Eidolon, Bahamut. The party finds an airship with a gate leading to Gran Pulse, and descends to the world below hoping to find aid in their quest. After falling under attack by a wild wyvern, Lightning helps Fang summon Bahamut to save the party. They land and create a base camp in the Vallis Media but after days of searching find Pulse devoid of human life. Hope wishes to be left behind and his Eidolon Alexander appears. Lightning and Fang help Hope tame the Eidolon, and with their resolve renewed, the party decides to head to Oerba, Vanille and Fang's hometown. The party crosses the Archylte Steppe into the Mah'habara Subterra and the Sulyya Springs where Lightning and Snow promise to see Serah together after saving Cocoon. They ascend Taejin's Tower and ride a capsule down to the outskirts of Oerba, but find it abandoned. The group is confronted by Serah, who refers to Lightning by her birthname and asks the group to destroy Orphan to summon the Maker and save the world from despair. Serah is Dysley in disguise, who announces he has resigned as Primarch and appointed a revived Raines in his place to incite a civil war, as the Cavalry would see him as a traitor. He has his familiar, Menrva, transform into an airship for the group to return to Cocoon, and they do so to try and stop Dysley's plans. They crash the Eden Grand Prix and make their way through Eden to Orphan's Cradle among the ensuing chaos. In the depths of the Narthex they find Dysley, who summons the crystallized Dajh Katzroy and Serah before the party and shatters them. Denouncing it as an illusion, the party fights Barthandelus and destroys him. His defeat awakens the sleeping Orphan, who wishes to be destroyed after centuries of not having a life, and attacks them. Fang submits to Orphan's demands and agrees to become Ragnarok. After they try to stop her, Lightning and the others aside from Vanille are turned into Cie'th and attack Fang. Orphan tortures her to force her to transform but Fang's incomplete transformation is not strong enough to kill Orphan. The Cie'th party members relive the memories of their quest and are restored, believing their transformation was another fal'Cie illusion, and that they have seen something that resembled a new Focus. Lightning announces their new Focus is to save Cocoon and all of the party's l'Cie brands burn out. Orphan's true form is vanquished and Cocoon begins to fall. Lightning and the others float away as Vanille and Fang transform into a complete Ragnarok, using their power to stop Cocoon's descent by forming a crystal pillar to support it above Gran Pulse. Lightning and the others enter crystal stasis, but are restored and find they are no longer l'Cie. Lightning is reunited with Serah and begins apologizing to her, but is cut short when Snow reminds they "have a wedding to plan". Snow reassures Lightning he will make Serah happy, and Lightning congratulates them. Final Fantasy XIII-2 As Etro's protector, Lightning guards the goddess from Caius, Yeul's immortal Guardian who wants to kill Etro to destroy the timeline to save Yeul from her cycle of reincarnation. During her battle against Caius, Lightning sees Etro's Gate appear over Etro's temple and a person falling out. She recognizes it as the young man she had seen in a past vision, Noel Kreiss. Lightning saves Noel from his fall and shows him a Time Gate asking him to find Serah and bring her to Valhalla. Lightning gives him Mog to be a good-luck-charm for Serah once he finds her. When Caius summons a meteor over the shrine, Lightning summons Odin to throw her into the meteor's path, but it crushes the shrine. Noel finds Serah and together they embark on a quest through time to find their way to Valhalla. Lightning eventually appears from a portal before them in New Bodhum at 700 AF, and tells them they are in a future she had failed to save. She explains that Orphan's demise and Fang and Vanille's sacrifice to save Cocoon opened the portal to Valhalla, and while Etro closed the door to prevent Valhalla's chaos from pouring out into the world, Lightning was brought to Valhalla as a result. Lightning says Caius plans to destroy Etro and open the door again, unleashing chaos into the mortal world. The door would open wide enough if enough people died at once, such as if the crystallized Cocoon fell, and the world would be infected with chaos; time, life, and death would become meaningless, making the world like Valhalla. Lightning entrusts Noel and Serah to stop Caius in the mortal realm while she deals with him in Valhalla. She has Mog reveal the final Time Gate to take Serah and Noel to 500 AF so they can stop Caius from destroying Hope's new Cocoon. In the Vile Peaks, Lightning blames herself for the paradox that caused the disappearance of an Academy anti-paradox team, the Blitz Squadron, while they were scouting the area in 10 AF to deal with a distortion. She recalls how she once fought alongside the men in Blitz Squadron and finds comfort in how they still remember her. When Mog reveals a phased-out image of Lightning in the Vile Peaks, she tells Serah and Noel about how as a l'Cie, she first thought fighting for what she believed in alone was the only way, but later saw the error in her ways. Being all by herself in Valhalla, she holds on to the memories of Serah and her friends to stay strong in her battle against Caius. Lightning tells Serah she misses her and prays for the day when they can be together again, and disappears. After Serah Farron and Noel Kreiss find their way to Valhalla and battle Caius they are consumed by a wave of darkness and sent falling into an abyss of light. Lightning appears and saves them, urging them to keep hope alive before vanishing. Back in Valhalla, Lightning continues her fight with Caius. As mentioned in the Final Fantasy XIII-2 Ultimania Omega scenario interview, the battle between Lightning and Caius is an endless loop that would continue for eternity. The loop appears broken when Caius abruptly disappears and Lightning sees a vision of Serah's death by her Eyes of Etro. Caught off guard, Lightning is struck down by Caius before being taken away by chaos. She comes to in the remains of Etro's temple where she finds Serah's soul restrained and surrounded by chaos, manipulated by the spirits of Yeul. The chaos forms into a manifestation of Caius that Lightning proceeds to battle. Caius transforms into Chaos Bahamut and flies towards the beach where Lightning continues to fight him. After dispatching her opponent, Lightning mounts Odin and demands Yeul to let Serah go, only for her and her Eidolon to be swallowed by chaos. Lightning is made to realize her actions caused her sister's death and as she floats through the Historia Crux Lightning contemplates her belief that carrying out Etro's will would atone for her past sins, and concludes there is nothing left for her, not even hope. Mourning over Serah's body, Lightning sees Serah's spirit on Etro's throne who reveals she knew of her death yet continued so they can be reunited. As Serah's spirit fades away, she tells Lightning not give up hope and always remember her, promising they will meet again. To ensure Serah's memory lives on, holding on to their wish to be together again someday, and preserve the world's existence in Etro's place as her true atonement, Lightning sits on the goddess's throne and enters crystal stasis, waiting for the day she will awaken at the end of eternity. Gran Pulse is engulfed in chaos and merges with Valhalla to become Nova Chrysalia. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII After sleeping for five centuries in crystal stasis, the god Bhunivelze sought Lightning out to be the savior, a divine guardian tasked with guiding the souls of humanity to the new world that will replace Nova Chrysalia. When he found her, Bhunivelze separated Serah's soul from Lightning and created an illusion of her sister to keep Lightning acquiescent. Serah's soul was saved from fading into the Chaos when the part of Lightning she had suppressed when she first took on her codename was made manifest by the Chaos, creating a girl called Lumina, who acts as a body protecting Serah's soul. Though she resents the deity for using Serah as a bargaining chip, Lightning's regret over her death convinced her to aid Bhunivelze so she can save her sister's soul. Bhunivelze removed much of Lightning's emotion so she can perform her task more efficiently. While Hope helps her from within his Ark in the New Cocoon, Lightning rescues souls and gathers Eradia to restore the tree Yggdrasil to delay the Apocalypse by extending the world's lifespan. Amid a celebration in Yusnaan, Lightning confronts Snow in the ballroom of Patron's Palace. During their battle Lumina breaks Lightning's sword and drops a chandelier, but Snow halts its descent by freezing it. Snow flees and Lightning chases him through the palace into a Chaos infusion where Lightning re-encounters Lumina, who claims Lightning is different from Bhunivelze's usual servants. After defeating the Zaltys that Lumina summoned, Lightning comes upon a door blocked by a field of Chaos, and worries Snow is not entirely sane if he went inside. She hears Snow's guards approaching and retreats. Traveling to Luxerion, Lightning learns three people have been murdered in the last three days, all women who resemble her, and learns it to be the work of a rebel cult called Children of Etro. Lightning encounters Noel Kreiss who has become obsessed by a prophecy declaring she will destroy the world if unstopped. Lightning puts a stop to the cult's activities in Luxerion, then faces Noel, freeing him of his burden of guilt. She meets Vanille who has been cursed with the ability to hear the voices of the dead and consequently has become a saint of the Order of Salvation, a cult dedicated to the worship of Bhunivelze. In Yusnaan, Lightning returns to Snow's palace and is forced to fight him. Though he tries to make her take his life as a penance for failing to protect Serah, and nearly becomes a Cie'th in the process, Lightning brings him round and frees him of his burden. In the Dead Dunes, Lightning encounters Fang who for the past thirteen years has been searching for a divine relic called the holy clavis: a relic that can draw in and 'purify' souls. When they find it Fang tries to destroy it, as the ritual in which the relic is activated would kill Vanille. Fang fails, and the Secutors — the Order's military branch — are led to the place by Lumina and take the relic. In the Wildlands, Lightning rescues a white chocobo called Angel of Valhalla from a Chocobo Eater and heals its injuries before setting out across the land. She encounters a depressed Sazh and discovers his son Dajh has been comatose since Nova Chrysalia's formation. She finds Dajh's soul to rouse him and brings Sazh out of his depression. In another part of the Wildlands, Lightning explores the remains of Etro's temple where she finds a resurrected Caius and multiple Yeuls. She defeats Caius only to learn she cannot save him as he has become bound to the Chaos. As she leaves Lightning learns from Yeul that the white chocobo is Odin, her Eidolon. She comes across the Moogle Village and meets Mog who has been burdened by guilt for his perceived failure to protect Serah, but is delighted to see Lightning again with promises of bringing Serah back. On the final day Lightning returns to the Ark to find Hope fading away. She learns Bhunivelze chose him as his host as the god cannot see human souls or Chaos in his true form. Hope comforts Lightning, saying her example enabled him to go on and accept his fate. In the Luxerion Cathedral Lightning teams up with Fang and finds Vanille in the process of performing the Soulsong to activate the clavis. Lightning, who has learned the relic will destroy the souls of the dead so that those who still live will forget their existence, convinces Vanille the reason the souls kept calling to her was because they held onto hope, as souls in despair would have been silent. With help from Fang and Snow, Lightning stops the ritual and allows Vanille and Fang to free both their own souls, and the ones threatened by the clavis, to be reborn in the new world. Yeul and Lumina arrive and reveal the truth about the fate of Serah's soul to Lightning. Bhunivelze/Hope shows up, captures her allies and offers a chance for Lightning to witness the birth of the new world. Upon reaching the heart of the cathedral's dungeons Lightning is transported to Cosmogenesis, an otherworldly place where Bhunivelze's true form awaits her. Lightning learns Bhunivelze plans to purge the souls of humanity of memories and emotions, believing that such things are impurities. Bhunivelze wishes to condition Lightning to an emotionless replacement for Etro in the new world, but, refusing to follow his plans, Lightning attacks him and frees Hope from Bhunivelze's hold. She intends to sacrifice herself to ensure Hope can escape and the deity is destroyed, but the illusion of Serah Bhunivelze had created appears and reveals Lumina's origins to Lightning. Finally accepting Lumina as a part of herself, Lightning calls for help. Her call is answered and Lightning and Hope launch a final assault on Bhunivelze, who unleashes his power to try and destroy them. With the aid of Snow, Fang, Vanille, Noel, and the Eidolons, Lightning severs Bhunivelze's hold on the souls of humanity. Sazh, Dajh and Serah appear, and the combined souls of humanity concentrate their energy to strike the god down. After defeating Bhunivelze, Lightning and her reunited allies bear witness to the death of Nova Chrysalia and the birth of a new world free of gods. As the Eidolons fade away, Lightning bids farewell to Odin and sheds tears while recalling moments of her journey, then leads her friends to their new home. In the new world, Lightning begins her life anew. On a sunny day Lightning emerges from a train arriving in a modern town as she embarks on a peaceful journey to reunite with her friends. Allies *Snow Villiers *Hope Estheim *Vanille *Fang *Sazh Katzroy *Bartholomew Estheim *Gadot *(FF)|Lebreau] *Noel Kreiss *Dajh Katzroy *Mog *Yeul *Cid Raines *Adonis *Amodar *Lumina Enemies *Yaag Rosch *Galenth Dysley *Orphan *Caius Ballad *PSICOM *Anima *Barthandelus *Menrva Appearances *Final Fantasy XIII *Final Fantasy XIII-2 *Lightning Returns Category:Female Category:Humans Category:Protagonist Category:Final Fantasy XIII Category:Final Fantasy Characters Category:Final Fantasy XIII - 2 Category:Lightning Returns Category:L'Cie Category:Magic Category:Alive Category:Pink Hair Category:Blue Eyes